Spending big to buy airplanes by the dozen is nothing new for Steven Udvar-Hazy: In the last 37 years, the aircraft leasing pioneer has purchased thousands of planes, which were then rented to the majority of the world's major carriers.

The 47th Farnborough International Airshow opened its doors for business Monday with the world's two biggest aircraft manufacturers hoping it will mark a turning point after a turbulent financial year.

Some people collect rubber bands. Some people collect paper clips. And then some people are like Randy Petersen, founder of FlyerTalk.com, an elite group of people obsessed with plane loyalty schemes. "We collect frequent flier miles," he explains. "And in the process we collect our dreams."

You're sitting in an airport lounge and seize the chance to check your e-mails before your flight departs. You log on and are tempted by a wireless Internet provider offering free Internet access. So, do you take it?

Budget airline Ryanair, which says it is considering charging passengers to use the toilet, announced a huge increase in profits Monday, revealing recession-busting results in sharp contrast to other carriers grounded by financial trouble.

Budget airline Ryanair announced plans Tuesday to cut its winter flights schedule from its main UK hub, blaming a collapse in the British tourism industry, rising airport costs and "insane" aviation taxes.

When Delta and Continental dropped service out of the Toledo airport last year, residents were left with only a few daily departures -- or a 65-mile drive to Detroit's airport. Then something happened to ease the pain: Direct Air moved in, offering flights between Toledo and two warm-weather spots, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Punta Gorda, Florida, for as little as $49 each way.

The Mojave boneyard in the California desert is where old airplanes go to die -- a wasteland of decrepit planes, titanic heaps of titanium and aluminum waiting to be scrapped for metal in India or China.

The British government -- ignoring a firestorm of controversy -- Thursday approved construction of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport, saying the move is essential for British business and would retain the airport's status as a major European hub.

Making donations to charity is becoming an integral part of business travel. Airlines are bringing in vast sums through onboard donation schemes that gather unwanted foreign currency from travelers. And frequent fliers are even handing over their precious air miles to charities.

A lot of business travelers come off as know-it-alls, moving effortlessly from their towncars to their first-class lounges to the front of the plane, where they're served mimosas, as they recline in their ergonomic leather seats.

Armed with a credit card, travel itinerary safely wedged between meeting notes, it's all too easy for business travelers to overlook the impact they -- and their firms' money -- can make on the countries they visit.

This month we examine the ethics of travel and charity. Business travelers cross continents and see cities more than most; their stays may be brief, but the business traveler still gets a sense of the core culture of the countries they visit.

At a time when many of the world's airlines are cutting back due to rising fuel costs, British Airways announced Thursday that OpenSkies, its new subsidiary airline, will begin a scheduled service between Paris and New York.

For every dollar that the price of fuel increases, costs to the aviation industry go up by $1.6 billion. And if oil hits $135 a barrel for the rest of the year, the International Air Transport Association says losses could hit $6.1 billion.

Almost every industry is feeling the effects of the credit crisis. With belts being tightened, the way in which we travel for our business is also changing. On this month's CNN Business Traveller, we're looking at doing business on a budget.

After four years and 11 rounds of hard negotiation, the introduction of the "Open Skies" agreement in March was greeted with a sigh of relief. This was not just from airlines, but also their passengers.

Perveen Crawford became Hong Kong's first female pilot in 1995 and is soon to be Hong Kong's first female astronaut when she blasts off to sub-orbital space as a paying customer on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipOne.